Zero Hour - Tuesday, July 04, 2000, 9:51 AM ------------------------------------------- Gotham: Studio Apartment 3-G(#495RAFJM) The most striking feature of this third floor converted warehouse loft apartment is the 16'x 60' un-curtained wall of window panes that runs the entire expanse of space, facing east and overlooking the gothic spires of Gotham's Central Business District. The door opens from the north wall. 40' back is a 12' well constructed set of 10 stairs leading to a hardwood platform, which contains the bedroom area in plain view (with a spacious bathroom presumably leading off it, as indicated by the door to the right of the bed). The space directly beneath has traditional plaster walls with two doors, the left a smaller half-bathroom, the right a closet and storage area. Set against the far back southern wall of brick is a modern kitchenette. The space in between has been decorated in gender neutral modern furniture, although personal touches do show: Native American pottery decorates the odd shelf, matching the blanket neatly folded on the back of the couch. On the wall is a framed print of a Seattle cityscape complete with Space Needle. There are few other photographs. An astute observer would note the laptop on the desk tucked in the corner is custom built, and expensive. There is a slim portable printer next to it, a cellphone, and three leather document wallets. A lightweight ultra-modern suitcase is propped perpetually by the door when the apartment is in use. It is very clear this place belongs to someone who travels extensively. (There are +views here.) Obvious exits: Door In the Gotham apartment, there's a restless murmur and rustling of sheets as the occupant of the bed frowns in her sleep, shaking her head from side to side. "No...can't scream...". Her movements become even more restless as her disjointed words increase in volume. "No. This is my fault...just kill me...no, Ollie, don't! Don't shoot the clown!" She sits bolt upright in bed, eyes wide and blank. "Clown?" She's awake now. And completely confused. If you're very quiet and listen carefully you might hear a light snoring from the couch in the living room. It is there that Oliver Queen is asleep, his sneakers sitting in the middle of the floor along with a green hooded sweatshirt. Ollie himself is crumpled up on the couch. "Hal... no.... Hal's on a rampage and only I can stop him... shoot.. no... can't shoot my best robot..." He then opens his eyes wide but doesn't quite jump up. "Robot?" he whispers slightly confused. "Must have been that chili last night" he thinks as he closes his eyes again and tries to get back to sleep. Dark brows slash down as Dinah hears that oh-so-familiar voice, then arch up in surprise as she listens to the /content/. "Robots?" She casts aside the sheet and slides out of bed, only then pausing to look down at herself, clad only in the small sheer black thong she wears under her costume. Blue eyes narrow to slits as she regards her costume in a suspicious pile on the floor. She stops and snatches a robe from the foot of the bed and belts it angrily. "Ooh!" The syllable is low and ominous, and does not bode well for her surprise houseguest. Di quickly strides with anger over to the sofa and nudges Ollie none-too-gently with her knee, her arms folded across her chest. "Wake up." Oliver Queen gahs a bit at the knee as he turns around to regard you. Bleary eyes hover over you a bit, wondering how she can look stunning even in a bathrobe. "Oh good... this is a much better dream..." he sighs softly. "No Oliver, it's going to be your worst nightmare if you don't wake up right now and tell me e exactly what happened." The words are soft, measured and dripping with honeyed acrimony. Her lips press in a frown as she stares down at you, eyes like twin chips of ice. Okay: this is the dictionary picture for "Rude Awakening" Ollie comes fully awake at that tone; the one that is sickeningly sweet in a sarcastic way that just lets you know that she is about ready to kick ass and is going to enjoy it very much. He's heard that tone delivered against all too many thugs and crooks... and all too much more recently when he was the target. Grasping his head, he sits up and sighs. "Hmmm.... well, what's to tell... you, me and the junior Bat pack all hit the warehouse at once... you got knocked out... they took off leaving me and me alone to bring you home, do something about the bump on your head and then give you into a nice soft bed so you could rest." She pauses, a vein throbbing in her neck as her ire cools. Dinah Lance may be on rare occasions, irrational or unpredictable. Most of those instances occur when Oliver Queen is in the vicinity. But she's also fair, and a professional hero. Only slightly chagrined, she accepts the answer with a nod and winces. Her teeth grind slightly the second before she grits out, "Well...okay. Then I guess I owe you a thank you." It just kills her to say it. "Thank you." Her eyes skitter from yours as she rubs her temple and sighs nervously, turning away. "I'll uh, make coffee. Want some?" Oliver Queen nods gratefully. "Thank you..." he says sounding truly thankful. He then pauses a bit, unsure of what to say next. "How do you feel?" Good question. Safe question. (Like the love of my life just waltzed back into my life for his usual pitstop. That's how I feel. Angry. Hurt. And stupid. Because I still can't be in the same room with him without reacting. Okay Dinah. You can do this.)Oo. she thinks to herself as she crosses to the kitchenette and opens the coffee canister, spooning beans into a grinder. "Oh, you know how it is. The morning after a head-shot is always rocky. I'll take a painkiller with lunch and be ready to bust some bad-guys by dinner. You?" There. That wasn't so bad. Her lips curl in satisfaction. Oliver Queen leans back on the couch. (Hmm... I dunno. I had to bring home and undress the woman of my dreams and then spend the night on her couch while I hang around to make sure she's okay, even thought it's more than apparent that she'd wish I'd stayed dead.) "My back is killing me from sleeping on this couch, but I'll live." Yeah... we can get through this. The whir of the electric grinder starts just after his words finish, then ceases ten seconds later. With practiced ease Di taps the dark powder into a filter then loads it into a black and chrome monster that's half the size of the microwave. After pouring the water, she turns it on. Then she turns and leans back against the counter, clasping her hands loosely together and looking over at you. A nice safe distance away. Almost like observing a lion at the zoo, she muses internally, (Except there's no bars). Her tone is light and conversational. "So Robin was there last night. What about Mr. Personality? Did he show up to kick you out?" For the first time she smiles genuinely, a sparkle lighting her eyes. She knows such warnings are useless. This man does whatever he damn well pleases. Oliver Queen shakes his head and grins. "No, his royal majesty hasn't seen fit to evict me yet... but between Boy Wonder and Nightwing being there, I'm sure we're just days away from that..." he grins. "Too bad Robin was so damn fast about getting out of there... I need to talk to him before I get out of Gotham..." A brow arches up in gentle amusement. "Oh? Why, you need to borrow a pair of green tights?" She slips easily into the banter, and almost sighs with relief. The air fills with the aroma of rich coffee as the last of it brews. She opens up the cabinet and pulls down two cups. One is a delicate bone china floral cup. The other is a mug, obviously a remnant of Seattle. It has a bullseye on it and says 'Archers get straight to the point'. Oliver Queen shakes his head. "Need to track down a mutual friend and I figure he'd be easier to get address book stuff out of than Batman. He sighs softly. "I tried to talk to Connor, by the way. Went by his apartment." After pouring the coffee, Dinah carries the cups carefully over to the living area and sets them down on the coffee table. She sits down in the chair next to the sofa and crosses her legs. Quite suddenly, she becomes acutely conscious of the fact she's wearing a bathrobe six feet away from the most virile man on the planet. Well, at least in her opinion. And that gets her thoughts wandering... She quickly tries to get them back on track. "Wh-Who? Maybe I can help?" She remains silent on the subject of Connor. She does not need to play Canary-In-The-Middle. Oliver Queen shakes his head. He is not about to go telling Dinah that he's trying to hunt down a 16 year old girl. He does not need the crack about lowering his standards... not to mention the odd chance that such an suggestion might dredge up old memories of Marriane... even though she was well past 16. He sighs as he tries to ignore the fact that he is sitting roughly one body length from (to his mind anyway) the sexiest woman in the world and she's in nothing but a bathrobe and... oh lord she just crossed her legs. "I don't think you can... it's not anyone you'd know, I think. But maybe you can tell me if Connor was heading out of town for a while... that's what his landlord said..." Dinah lifts her chin and gives you a knowing look. "Yes, but I don't know where and that's Connor's business." She leans over to reach for her mug and tilts her head. "Why the sudden interest? Feeling paternal?" Oliver Queen sips his mug and closes his eyes. She always did know how he liked it... in more ways then one, he thinks. He ponders voicing that dirty little pun but decides, for once, not to try and be difficult... though he would enjoy watching you squirm a bit at that. "Yeah, I guess I am at that..." he says. Dinah takes the opportunity to study the planes of your face, lingering over the beard...and mouth. Her breath catches slightly, as she pushes her own hair behind her ear, setting down her mug and leaning back in the chair. Her next question is one she isn't sure she needs or wants the answer to. Simple. Direct. "Why?" Oliver Queen sighs. How soon they forget. "I meant what I said when we had dinner, Dinah. I've been thinking a lot about all the parts of my life I've lost... including my kids. Connor grew up without a father and... well, I wasn't much of one to Roy. I wanna try and make up for that if they'll let me..." She had thought it was the same old song and dance he always presented whenever he breezed in. This time...her eyes look at you with uncertainty, doubt and even a glimmer of hope. "I was so angry that night, I didn't ask the other obvious question." She wets her lips and looks at you. "Why should they give you a second chance? Or even a third or a fourth one?" They. No no. Of COURSE she's not asking for herself. (You're a fool, Dinah.) His eyes meet yours and it hits you for the first time... how tired he looks. Not just tired from last night but... there's something more... like his entire soul needs a good long sleep. "I can't think of a damn one." he says softly and quiet honestly. "I can't say I've had any big visions with angels or anything. It just hit me one day how much I've missed out on... and how much I don't want to miss anymore. All I have now is a real want to be better.... And the hope that someone will give me a chance to prove I can be." Dinah's eyes soften. (No. No! He's doing it to you again! But oh...he looks so lost...) she thinks. Ever the nurturer, even in the worst of times, Dinah capitulates with a sigh and moves over to the couch a foot away from you. Tentatively she reaches out for you hand, her voice low and cautious. "Ollie, I-th-THEY have been hurt so many times, it might not be realistic to expect everything to be like it was, or in Connor's case, to make up for lost time. But you can definitely show your intentions by being reliable and honest. They would probably appreciate that." They? She? It's unclear even to her if she's speaking for Connor and Roy, or for herself. That tiny flicker of hope burns like a match flame inside of her, even as she silently curses herself. Oliver Queen nods softly, astonished as you take his hand. "I'm not expecting much, Dinah. I imagine that I'm about as popular as leprosy with everyone right now. And I'm not going to ask to be forgiven for everything I've done that hurt... everyone. I'll be standing here till the end of eternity if I tried that." he says with a weak smile. "And you're right... things can't be like they were... they never are." he says softly. "But considering how... everything ended, that's probably a good thing." Oliver Queen sighs. "Hell, who knows... maybe things can be better." His grip on your hand tightens a bit. "I'm not holding my breath, but... well, maybe... " Her fingers give yours a gentle squeeze in return, as she looks at you with love and cynicism warring in her eyes. Finally, it is the idealist who wins out. The woman who can't stand to watch suffering, be it victim, minority, or even Oliver Queen. "I believe you." Her cheeks flush as Dinah becomes aware that she is dangerously close to the 'lion'. She looks down at her hand entwined with his. o O (Oh. my. This is not a good idea. So stop. Stop. Hello? Stop it. Move away.) Di shuts off her inner monologue and just sighs, enjoying the moment. Oliver Queen looks into your eyes, astonished. He hadn't expected that... he says as he just looks at you... just draws in the pleasure of having you here next to him. "Thank you... that... it means... a lot to hear you say that." Well that's a bit of a lie and then honesty wins out. "It means... everything to hear you say that." The moment those green eyes meet hers, all thoughts scatter like leaves in the wind. His effect on her is devastating. The absences, the arguments and even the indiscretions are shelved into oblivion. This man has always consumed her senses: his laugh, his passion for life, and his body? (Oh don't go the--Stop.) She drops her lashes and says in a slow voice, "Ollie, I'm glad. But I think you'd better go now." Oliver Queen nods. "I think so too." he says very slowly. He knows he should leave. He wants very much to stay but... well, then things might go back to old times. It's better for everyone if he goes now... then again, wasn't it trying to go away and leave everyone someplace better that got him here now. "Yeah... I should go..." he says finally as he reaches for his sneakers. "Gotta bird to catch." Dinah Lance's eyes fly quickly to your face. His eyes are still tired, still sad... but there is a steel underneath that now... like they're focused on something in front of him. "OH!" Score one for Oliver Queen: Dinah squirms uncomfortably and actually blushes. "Robin. Right." She stands quickly and rakes a hand through her hair, looking as antsy as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. "That's...yeah...". She sighs and crosses her arms over her shoulders. "Right. Will I hear from you again before you skip to the next town?" Oliver Queen looks at you and smiles. "Of course you will." he says gently. "I'm done with disappearing acts... at least from all the people who are important." She believes him, and it sends a shiver down her spine. It would almost scare her, if her sense of humor didn't kick in, a slow sinful smile spreading her lips. "Well well. I will have to get a rooftop view. Things are definitely about to get a whole lot more interesting in this town." She believes one other thing deeply: wherever Oliver Queen goes, trouble follows. Oliver Queen grins. "About to? I thought the robots and ninjas were kind of interesting." He chuckles lightly as he regards you. Jesus, but he wishes he didn't have to go. Dinah tilts her head and peers up at you with that wise way of hers. "I suppose it's useless to repeat your marching orders? Get out, stay out and don't come back?" She's still smiling, perhaps even in admiration of this man who ccould comfortably tell anyone from Batman to a bartender to go to hell. Oliver Queen grins that famous wicked Ollie Queen smile. "Depending on how things go with Robin and how soon Connor gets back, I MIGHT be going... but I'm leaving when I'm ready. Sorry to disappoint you, pretty bird...but I'm not quite canary-pecked yet." Dinah Lance arches a brow. "And I'm not disappointed." The words are brave and bold, but true. She grins up at you. "If you don't get to that door we're going to end up in big trouble. Clowns and robots be damned." Her eyes sparkle with laughter...and a good dose of something else. Oliver Queen grins a bit, his eyes echoing that same something else. "Oooh... well as much as I love "big trouble", I should go anyway. Promises to keep and all that." he says as he finishes knotting his shoes and grabs his sweatshirt Dinah shakes her head and turns, stepping to the door and opening it in blatant invitation. "If you need help, I've got your back, babe. You know that, right?" She looks at you with slight seriousness, unwavering and steady. "You can always count on me if you get in ah, trouble of a different kind." Oliver Queen nods at you. "Yeah... I know that." he says as he stops before you and looks at the door. "Take care of yourself, Dinah." he says, green eyes meeting yours. "Always." Again that gaze makes her senses go haywire. On impulse, she stands on her tiptoes and brushes a kiss across your mouth, her eyes wide open. She repeats huskily, "Always." Well, score one for Canary and end with a draw because Ollie wasn't expecting that. "What the hell." he mutters as he slides an arm around you gives you a full, on the lips kiss as he holds you for an all to brief moment. He then lets go, grins and says "I'll call you." And for once, you actually believe him as he heads out the door.